Inactive

This is a request for information for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Internationa... This is a request for information for market research purposes. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO), provides advice on international science and technology engagement; serves as liaison with the international science and technology community; manages NIST bilateral and multilateral cooperation; serves as the focal point for foreign visitors and associates, and oversees NIST's cooperation with academia. The Academic Affairs portion of the International and Academic Affairs Office has the responsibility of being the focal point for dispersing information regarding NIST's academic programs, its cooperative education activities and education outreach efforts. IAAO/AA acts as the liaison for any programmatic questions regarding NIST academic activities. Among the academic programs for which IAAO/AA retains responsibility are the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). The SURF Program is designed to inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), through a unique research experience that supports the NIST mission. PREP is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. The program is intended to assure continued growth and progress of a highly skilled STEM workforce in the United States. The Government is performing market research to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract to provide an objective and metric-based summative assessment of the SURF and PREP Programs. Program assessments are required to meet the Federal Government's requirement that all STEM education programs work toward more rigorous program assessments. The Contractor shall provide independent program evaluations that include reasonable metrics to measure the Program’s effectiveness, compare these results with the same metrics from similar groups, document what benefits NIST garners by conducting these programs, document program strengths and successes, provide information on how to improve the programs as well as the participants' experiences, and increase diversity within the Programs. The Government anticipates the use of a base line-item requirement (base) and separately priced option line item requirements (options) within the anticipated contract. The base requirement anticipates the Contractor performing an assessment of the NIST SURF Program, with a survey audience of 1000 individuals, for total of five (5) program years. One option requirement anticipates the Contractor performing an assessment of the NIST SURF Program for a survey audience of 500-750 individuals for a total of five (5) program years. Another option requirement anticipates Contractor performing an assessment of the NIST PREP Program for a survey audience of 100-600 individuals for (5) program years. The Contractor will be required to develop an assessment methodology, develop a survey instrument based upon areas of interest provided by the Government, work with the Government to secure the required Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance, reach out to survey audiences, receive, and track survey responses, analyze responses and prepare a final report. Required Information for Submission NIST is seeking responses from responsible sources. Responses are being sought from all business sizes. Small businesses are strongly encouraged to respond. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services, as those domestic sources having annual revenues of $19.0M or less. After the results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a contract. If at least two qualified small business are identified during market research, then a competitive procurement would be conducted via a small business set-aside. If a small business set-aside results, a Limitation Subcontracting clause will be applicable to the anticipated procurement action. Businesses meeting the classification of the set-aside would be required to perform 50% of the labor for the required work with qualified in-house personnel and/or a similarly situated small business subcontractor. Responses to this sources sought shall not exceed ten pages in length and shall demonstrate the respondent’s capabilities as indicated below. The response must provide detail well beyond a written capability statement. Documentation submitted shall include all of the following: -Organization Name -Unique Entity Identifier for the Company’s active SAM.Gov Registration -Organization Website -Contact Name -Contact Telephone -Contact E-mail address -Experience evaluating STEM workforce development internship programs including students, faculties and researchers at U.S. federal laboratories as well as educational institutions. -Staff with management and technical expertise in science, technical, engineering, and mathematics. -Expertise and experience developing evaluation, assessment, research, and data collection methodologies. -Experience with current federal data security and privacy policies and actions associated with the Paperwork Reduction Act. -Experience collecting information from large and diverse audiences, while maxizing response rates. For the purpose of this notice “large and diverse” refers to age, years of professional experience, cultural, and/or level of education. -Price Information It is requested that the Contractor provide relevant labor categories, rates, and levels of effort, that are likely to be utilized for this work. Respondents are also encouraged to submit price ranges for similar projects completed. Pricing information will be utilized for budgeting purposes. Therefore, it is preferred that prices and/or price ranges be within 10-15% of the actual price. Price information is non-committal and will be held by NIST as confidential. The above information and any other information considered pertinent to this notification must be submitted to Carol A. Wood, Contracting Officer, not later than May 12, 2023. Email submission is required.